Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



J. v. THOMPSON.

MAIL BAG GATGHER AND DELIVIBRER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1908- 4 921 ,567, Patented May 11, 1909.

SBHEETS-SHBET l.

Witngaoao VZVZOMIJJ'OIZ w M autumn J'. v. THOMPSON. MAILBAG GATGHER AND DELIVERER.

APPLICATION IILED AUG.1,1908.

Patentd May 11,1909.

3 SHEETS-$121512.

kw k mm.

witness v a exams-sum Patented May 11, 1909.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1,1908.

, MAIL BAG OATGHER AND DELIVERER.

WWW

Y P J unrrn srarns rarnnr ornicn JAMES V. THOMPSON, OF SPENCER, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTE TO ISAAC MOORE, ONE-FOURTH TO IIAMOND Il'. ROBEY, AND ONE-FOURTH TO FRED P. GOUGH, OF SPENCER, WEST VIRGINIA.

MAIL-BAG GATCHEB AND DELIVEBER.

No. 921,567. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 11, 1909. Application filed August 1, 1908. Serial No. 446,399.

- To all whom it may concern: j and provided at its outer end with a hook 6, 55

Be it known that I, JAMES V. TrioMPsoN, a j said hook extending through the arm i and citizen of the United States of America, reprovided with a shank 7 fitting in a recess 8. siding at Spencer, in the county of Roane The hook 6 is adapted to support a mail bag L and State of Vi est Virginia, have invented 9, and may be adjusted by turning the hook new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag and disposing the shank 7 in the recess 8 op 60 Catchers and Deliverers, of which the followpositely to the position shown in Fig. 8. ing is a specification. Connected to the inner end of the arm 4 is a This invention relates to mailbag catchers wire loop 10, and attached to said loop is a 10 and deliverers, and one of the principal obconnecting rod 11, the lower end of which is jects of the same is to provide a device for attached at 12 to a loop on a lever 13, said 65 the purpose described which shall be simple lever being hinged to a staple 1d at its upper in construction, which will work smoothly 1 end and having its lower end engaged by a under all conditions and which is capable of block 15 secured to the base of the crane.

15 being folded to occupy but little space when l By disengaging the lower end of the lever 13 not in use. from the block 15, the arm 4: will fold against 70 Another object of the invention is to prothe front side of the post 2, as will be undervide a device of the character referred to stood. which can be readily adjusted to deliver a The mail bag delivering mechanism commail bag when the car is going in either diprises a frame 16 iitted into the side of the rection and to catch or take up a mail bag car. Connected to this frame upon opposite 75 hung from a crane at the station when the sides are hinge members 17 comprising socktrain is going in either direction. ets having registering openings 18 therein to These and other objects may be attained receive the hinge members 19 connected to by means of the construction illustrated in the uprights 20 of the delivery frame. In

the accompanying drawings, in whichforder to swi ig the delivery frame from oppo- 80 Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating site sides of the door opening in the car the entire device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section 1 have provided a double sliding bolt 21 havtaken through the door frame to which the ing downwardly projecting fingers 22 which mail bag delivering device is hinged. Fig. 3 pass through the socket members 17 and the is a vertical section taken at right angles to hinge members 19 to form a hinge at one side 8 Fig. 2 and illustrating the mail bag deliveror the other of the delivery frame. The bolt ing mechanism. Fig. l is a sectional view 21 is fitted to slide in a keeper 23 on the from front to rear looking downward upon frame 16. A recess 24 inthe bolt 21 is enthe mail bag supporting device. Fig. 5 is a gaged by the keeper 23 to hold the bolt in an vertical section of the delivering mechanism l upper inoperative position. A handle 25 90 folded in compact form when not in use. projects outward from the bolt to operate Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of 1 the same. It wiil be understood that there Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by is a bolt 21 on opposite sides of the delivery the arrow Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view frame and that one of said bolts is thrown of the sliding bolt detent. Fig. 8 is a detail into inoperative position to permit the door 9 a section, showing the supporting hook on the to swing from that side. crane, and illustrating the recess for the j The top 26 of the deliverer is provided with shank of the hook to permit adjustment in arecess27 having curvedwalls28,and pivoted supporting the bag when the train is going in j at the inner end of said recess 27 is a catch either direction. 29 engaged by a pivoted latch 30 to which Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 l a spring 31 is connected, the opposite end 0" designates the side of a mail car, and in the said spring being attached to a staple 32 on openingin the side of the car is fitted a door 1 one of the uprights 20. A series of rods 33 50 frame to which my mal bag deliverer is j are connected to the top 26 and extend down hinged. A crane for suspending a bag in l to a frame 34 connected at its opposite sides position to be taken up by the moving train to the uprights 20. The rods 33 form a cage consists of a post or upright 2 having suitable for catching the mail bag 9 suspended from braces 3, and at the top an arm i hinged at 5 l the crane. A. horizontal partition 35 is se- Cir The lower end of the mail bag 9 strikes the abutment 40 and slides the bolt 42 out braces 36 provided with studs 37 which perof the ring 44 of the mail bag and permits 'de on the uprights 20. The 1 said bag to slide out of the frame 49 into a partition 35 is provided with a central recess 1 receiving net at the side of the track; When 38 in which is secured a rack bar 39. Fitted the delivering mechanism is not required for to slide 011 the rack bar 39 is a curved abut- I use, the parts may be folded into the position ment 40 provided with a shank 41 having a shown in Fig. 5 to occupy but little space.

cured to the uprights 20 and is supported in slot.

a horizontal position by means of the slotted bolt 42 formed thereon, said bolt extending outwardly into a slot 43 in the partition 35 am engaging a ring 44 on a mail wai dry pro ecting member 46 thiou h which order PIOJGCtS a detent 47 surrounded by a spring I claim zsaid detent adapted to engage the teeth 1. A mail bag deliverer comprising a of the rack bar 39 as the abutment is pushed frame, hinge members extending from said inward by the mail bag 9 and to prevent reframe, a car door frame provided with socket coil of the bolt 42.

he mail bag 45 is supported by the bolt and rests upon an inclined delivery rack 49 comprising the side bars 50, the top cross bar 51 and a series of spaced rods 52 conbolts provided with fingers for engaging said soc et members and hinge mem opposite sides of said frame.

2. A mail rod 53, the opposite ends of which extend spring latch for holding the bag in the recess.

are pivoted in the 3. A mail to the cross bar frame having a top provided with means for catching a mail ag, a partition in the frame provided with a sliding abutment, a bolt formed on said abutment for supporting a mail bag to be delivered, and an inclined frame for holding the mail bag. he operation of my invention may be 4. A mail bag deliverer comprising means briefly described as follows :-When it is defor catching a bag, a frame for supporting sired to deliver the mail bag 45 and to catch the bag, a bolt, an abutment connected to bag 9, the bag 45 is suspended by said bolt, and a rack bar and detent for prethe ring 44 from the bolt 42, while the bag 9 venting the recoil of said bolt. is suspended from the hook 6 on the crane. In testimony whereof I affix my signature I s the train moves towarc the left in Fig. 1, I in presence of two witnesses. the mall JAMES v. THOMPSON.

Witnesses W. E. BURKE, DENNIS RHODES.

swings the arm it across the slot 27 to confine From the foregoing it will be obvious that i 

